Insomniac is set to deliver the next game in its Marvel's Spider-Man franchise, the critically acclaimed Marvel's Spider-Man 2, exclusively to PS5 on October 20, 2023. But what can we expect from the upcoming superhero game ? And, more importantly, what do fans hope to see?
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Marvel's Spider-Man became a huge hit when the game first released in 2018 and was so well received that the developer, Insomniac Games, released a second game through Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2020: Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
Both video games were highly appreciated by all who ventured into them. With incredible storytelling, gorgeous graphics, and entertaining characters, there's no mystery. There were rumors that a third game was being developed, and during Sony's PlayStation Showcase event last year, it was officially confirmed.
Media analyst and insider Millie Amand recently tweeted that the game's development “exceeds the expectations of senior Marvel executives.” His claim was confirmed by a Marvel employee who was equally impressed with the gameplay of Marvel's Spider-Man 2, thinking it was actually a cut scene, and who praised the game for its “striking fluidity” and “visual punch”.
Fans started getting excited about the new single-player adventure game after Marvel released a short trailer showing a bit of what they can expect from Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Let's analyze the situation.
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The story so far
Marvel's Spider-Man
Marvel's Spider-Man, a PlayStation exclusive (until release on PC in 2022), begins with Peter Parker confronting and defeating Wilson Fisk, who is ultimately arrested – much to the delight of Jay Jonah Jameson (the Daily Bugel reporter) . Peter then goes to investigate a burglary where he runs into Mary Jane Waston and we hear the first mentions of Devil's Breath, a secret project whose file was stolen by a masked gunman. Both decide to investigate the theft.
Peter is warned by Martin Li (the leader of F.E.A.S.T) that the masks belong to a dangerous group called the Demons Within. He then crosses the city to his post as assistant to Dr. Otto Octavius in his research to develop a functional artificial arm. Unfortunately, Norman Osborn ends the project by cutting Dr. Octavius' scholarship.
After some victories against the Demons Within (with the help of Jefferson Davis – a police officer and the father of Miles Morales), Peter goes to a campaign rally for the re-election of Norman Osborn, who is suddenly attacked by the Demons Interiors and their leader Mr Negative (Martin Li). Jefferson is killed during the attack and Peter tries to bond with Miles, feeling responsible for his father's death and also knowing what it feels like to lose a father figure. It takes time, but Miles eventually accepts the friendship.
Osborn hires a group of mercenaries known as Sable to protect him from attacks by the Demons Within and eliminate them. The group immediately decides that they don't like Spider-Man and do everything in their power to make his life difficult, but he gets through it and continues his investigation into the Demons Within. He learns that Li has a score to settle with Osborn and plans to steal the Devil's Breath (a project that was originally intended to discover a universal cure but accidentally resulted in a biological weapon) and free him, but his fans are foiled by Peter with the help of MJ and Li is quickly arrested and sent to the high security prison known as Raft.
Meanwhile, Dr. Octavius is consumed with vengeance and develops tentacle-like arms that he controls with an untested neural implant. His increasing aggression leads Peter to be rightly concerned about the effects of the implant on Octavius' mental state. The latter soon took the name Doctor Octopus (or Doc Ock, as Peter regularly calls him).
As Doc Ock, the old scientist frees all the prisoners on Ryker's Island and the Raft forms the Sinister Six (Doc Ock, Mister Negative, Electro, Vulture, Rhino and Scorpion) and steals Devil's Breath freeing it from Times Square and affecting thousands of civilians, including Aunt May. New York falls into chaos and Osborn does not hesitate to declare martial law.
Peter and MJ team up again in Marvel's Spider-Man, with Peter on a mission to stop all the criminals and big bads while MJ searches for a cure. During her research, she discovers that Devil Breath was supposed to be a cure for their terminally ill best friend, Harry Osborn. She also learns that Martin Li was one of the project's guinea pigs and had been gifted with powers, but accidentally killed his parents upon discovering his new abilities, which sparked Osborn's grudge. Finally, she discovers the location of the cure and gives it to Peter.
Peter finally succeeds in convincing Sable to trust him and leaves to retrieve the cure, defeating Li, but being seriously injured by Doc Ock who seizes Osborn and the cure.
In a last, desperate attempt to save the city, Peter makes himself a new suit and sets off in pursuit of Octavius (who reveals he knows Spider-Man's true identity), defeating him and saving Osborn and the cure. Peter is then faced with the difficult task of choosing between saving Aunt May or letting the doctors examine the cure and save everyone else.
He says goodbye to his Aunt May, who tells him she knew he was Spider-Man, and they hold a funeral for her, burying her next to Uncle Ben.
Silver Sable leaves New York, realizing she may need to rethink her life choices, and Miles is bitten by a spider that managed to escape from Norman Osborn's personal laboratory. Miles develops powers which he quickly reveals to Peter, who in turn reveals to him that he is Spider-Man.
Osborn is then seen approaching Harry, who is being kept in an aquarium with a black web-like substance (probably belonging to everyone's favorite symbiote) that is keeping him alive until a cure for his illness is found. find.
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Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
A year later, in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, we follow Miles as he learns to become Spider-Man, only being a little careless along the way (there was an incident with an accidentally broken toe) and helping Peter often goes on his many missions throughout New York wearing one of his old costumes.
They both have an altercation with Rhino, who Miles accidentally let escape, but they quickly deal with the metal-covered villain and leave the scene to let the cops do their job. Peter found Miles later and gave him a new costume, letting him know that he was going to leave town with MJ for a few weeks and that the town would need a Spider-Man in his absence.
Miles begins to get into the swing of things, revealing his identity to his best friend Ganke (who doesn't hesitate to help him as Spiderman) and doing the training exercises Peter left him. Ganke warns him of a burglary in Harlem, at the Roxxon Plaza, where the Nuform reactor is located. Miles stumbles upon the Underground (a group of criminals using high-tech gadgets) and takes matters into his own hands, Spider-Man style.
Later in Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Miles has dinner with his mother and an old friend, Phin, with whom he used to build inventions as a child. When they meet again later and try to reconnect, he suspects that she is hiding something from him, but chooses to say nothing.
Miles helps his uncle Aaron get a job as Spider-Man, doing his best to keep his identity hidden, but this proves futile when his uncle subtly tells him that he knows who he is .
During a campaign rally for his mother, the Underground names Simon Krieger as a killer and attacks all the Roxxon guards present. Miles stays for a while to help, learning that Phin is the leader of the Underground, but leaves to stop them from stealing Nyform, although he ends up accidentally destabilizing it and blowing up the bridge, earning him d being labeled as a criminal even though he saved several civilians. Luckily for Miles, he discovers a new power called biological camouflage and uses it to escape. He and Ganke then decide to design a new suit.
Peter learns what's happening in New York and offers to come back, but Miles tells him he has everything under control, then goes to investigate a repair shop that once belonged to Phin's family, where he meets a vigilante who is calls Prowler and who turns out to be his uncle. Together, they learn that Krieger killed Phin's brother Rick with a synthesizer after the two broke into his laboratory in an attempt to eliminate Nuform. Miles destroys the lab by absorbing energy from the synthesizer and releasing it in a giant explosion before fleeing with his uncle.
His uncle tries to convince him to move away from the vigilante life, but when Miles refuses, he offers to infiltrate the Underground's base of operations to obtain information on what is happening there.
He does as suggested, then puts on his costume after learning that Phin was trying to create a bomb using a canister overloaded with Nyform and attempting to sabotage their plans. Unfortunately, he gets caught but quickly reveals his identity to Phin before she kills him. Miles, stressed, is encouraged by his uncle to return to music to recharge his batteries.
Miles tells his uncle that he intends to find Phin and Aaron tells Krieger (whom he works for) where they are meeting and asks them not to hurt Miles.
The two men meet and discuss Phin's plan. She is determined to take revenge for her brother's death and will not let Miles stop her. They are both captured by Rhino who takes them back to Roxxon, Krieger's base of operations, although they manage to escape and learn the truth about Miles' uncle. Together, they head to Krieger's lab, with Miles learning that Phin's plan to blow up Nyform would destroy Harlem, before they are ambushed again by Rhino. They defeat the villain and Miles tries to explain to Phin the dangers of his plan, but she refuses to listen.
Miles returns home and his mother finds him and Ganke, beaten and broken. She is more than supportive of the life he leads as a vigilante and the three of them work together, with Ganke and Rio creating an escape plan for Harlem and Miles leaving to take care of Phin. His uncle stops him on the way, trying to convince Miles to give up, but Miles doesn't agree. He defeats his uncle by telling him that he will not turn his back on the people who need him and continues his search for Phin.
He finds her, but before he can stop her, a fight breaks out and she leaves for Harlem. Rio and Ganke begin to evacuate Harlem and Miles sets off again in search of Phin, getting stopped by Roxxon agents on his way, but his uncle arrives to help him, leaving Miles to leave to finish the job he started.
During the final confrontation with Phin, Miles removes his mask, struggling to see what is happening, and it is she who triggers the explosion. He reacts quickly, bringing her to safety before absorbing the energy of the explosion, which nearly kills him. Phin reacts quickly, tosses them both into the air and tells Miles to let go.
The ensuing explosion brings Miles back down without a mask and Phin is nowhere to be found. His mother and Ganke later find him, along with a couple of Harlem residents, who promise not to discuss his identity, simply saying “He's our Spider-Man” to anyone who asks.
Krieger is sent to prison thanks to evidence provided by Aaran Davis and Peter returns, remarking that he likes Miles' new costume. The two begin officially working together, and get fans excited for the next evolution of Spider-Man's story.
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What we can assume from the Marvel's Spider-Man 2 game trailer
The identity of the disturbing voice
Since the release of the trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, fans have continued to speculate about the identity of the Russian-accented voice, with many coming to the conclusion that it was Kraven, the supervillain. The belief that this was the identity of the invisible voice was reinforced by the challenge to the two Spider-Man characters:
“For as long as I can remember, I've been looking for an equal… Someone who could push me… Someone who could surprise me… Someone who could beat me. But all I found was disappointment. Will one of you finally give me what I want? »
Fans who know the Hunter well know that he loves the glory of hunting and is completely obsessed with finding a worthy and formidable opponent who will prove that he is the best Hunter alive and judged that Spider-Man was the man for the job. This is clearly a showdown waiting to happen and one that has fans worried about their favorite Spider-Men's chances of survival in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Peter Parker has always had bad luck. It’s one of the things he’s best known for. But he almost always got away with it. This was not the case during his last fight against the merciless Kraven, who won and killed Spider-Man. Fans are desperately hoping that Marvel executives won't go this route for the character. But considering the game's story, the near-death experiences Peter regularly has when trying to help people, and the dark tone the story often takes, his chances aren't very good. Prepare your tissues.
Luckily for us, there's no need to wonder if one of the most iconic villains from the Spider-Man universe will be included in this exciting new adventure, as PlayStation has released a video on its YouTube channel: Introduction from Kraven the Hunter. Without needing to speculate further, we can see that he is indeed included in the game, just like the Kraven Hunters.
The introduction of Venom
Fans have been expecting the beloved villain/antihero to appear in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 since the post-credit scene of the first Spider-Man game, in which Norman Osborn was seen approaching a vat containing the body of his son in a coma and promising him that he would find a cure. It turns out that Harry suffers from the same illness as his mother and Norman is willing to do anything to make sure his son doesn't suffer the same fate, even bonding him to the Venom symbiote that he doesn't quite understand .
It will be a little different seeing Harry Osborn as the host of the villainous Venom rather than everyone's favorite reporter, Eddie Brock (who was played by Tom Hardy in the later films). However, fans are curious to see what they will do with the character in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and how the choice to switch hosts will play out. We might get the chance to see Eddie Brock bond with the symbiote, and Harry might be able to reprise his original role as the Green Goblin.
The symbiote is played by horror icon Tony Todd, and everyone can't wait to see how it will bring the monstrous Venom to life in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
One of PlayStation's latest trailers shows Peter Parker in the symbiote suit, adding an element of mystery to how Venom might take up residence in its new host and how Harry Osborn might unleash the incredible power of the symbiote. symbiont.
Improved combinations
In the first trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, Peter and Miles are seen wearing upgraded suits to take on the bad guys. Marvel appears to have officially added the mechanical arms of the Iron Spider suit to Peter's normal costume. We hope this addition comes with an overhaul of the combat and gameplay mechanics so that the way he takes down bandits is as fun to do as it is to watch.
Miles, with his new web wings, sports a new design of his original costume, with red stripes that extend across the entire arm. Aside from the new gadgets and tricks shown in the trailer, his power and confidence have definitely increased. We hope Marvel keeps the additional upgrades and epic new powers for players to discover as they play.
The Spider-Men fight as a team
In previous games, Spider-Man has always done his best to protect New York City from all the dangers that threaten it, with the help of a few non-superpowered individuals. Having two playable Spider-Men in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will not only make life a little easier for both, but will give players the opportunity to see the entertaining dynamic between Miles and Peter in a whole new way. angle, as well as the friendships they make along the way. In addition, they will be able to wander around an expanded version of Marvel’s New York.
Fans will be able to choose which Spider-Man they want to play as, allowing them to gain the best possible advantages in the event of a fight. It will be interesting to see how Insomniac Games decides to work the gameplay with two Spider-Mans in the mix.
Game director Bryan Intihar explained that both Spider-Men will be able to individually explore different stories and side missions in the game, but players will also have the option to manually switch between them while they explore the world.
In addition to the ability to switch between characters, three different skill trees have been revealed in the game, which players will be able to explore and expand on. There will be an individual skill tree for Miles and Peter, as well as a common tree so players don't know who to choose, but don't have to.
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What we want to see in Marvel's Spider-Man 2
The introduction of new characters
With the large number of characters introduced in the previous two games and the many thugs left to eliminate from Spider-Man's gallery, everyone is eager to see who will be introduced in Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
The Lizard – Confirmed
This is a Spider-Man villain that has been referenced and alluded to in both games. In the first game, while wandering around New York City looking for the many backpacks Peter has misplaced over the years, you come across an empty vial containing the Lizard's blood. In the accompanying audio diary, Peter says he created a cure for the doctor, but unfortunately it didn't last. This lets us know that somewhere in the city, Curt Conners is still capable of transforming into the Volatile Lizard. Later, we see the doctor that Peter is trying to find wearing a Lizard costume at a fancy dress party.
In the second game, specifically in the post-credit scene, we see Dr. Conners working with Norman Osborn to find a cure for his son. The fact that he obviously works at OsCorp and we know he can still transform into the Lizard doesn't bode well for Spider-Man.
Wolverine
Marvel's Wolverine is one of several upcoming Marvel games, and many fans are eager to get the chance to play as the disgruntled member of the X-Men. It would be an extremely beneficial move on Marvel's part if they decided to introduce the character in the new Spider-Man game, rather than saving his debut for his solo title.
Spider-Man and Wolverine have one of the most entertaining dynamics in Marvel comics, with personalities clashing more violently than the colors of the Joker's outfits, so seeing them work together in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, even briefly, would be a great way to promote the upcoming game.
Dr. Strange
Although it's a relatively minor Easter Egg in Marvel's Spider-Man franchise, it's entirely possible to stumble upon the Sanctum Sanctorum while wandering around the city. With Strange's recent collaboration with the Web-Slinger in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it wouldn't be a stretch for the Sorcerer Supreme (I'm guessing he's a former Sorcerer Supreme now) to make an appearance in the new game.
The Hand and Daredevil
Although the Hand is more Daredevil's villain than Spiderman's, judging by the appearance of the ninja goons Peter and Miles fight in the new trailer, it appears he's going after a new hero in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. This could indicate a greater involvement of Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin) in the games, he who has already been the head of the supervillain organization.
Marvel could very well decide to integrate Matt Murdock into Marvel's Spider-Man 2. They have in any case referenced his character enough times for it to be a possibility.
MJ Stealth Sections Revisited
While it was great to have Mary Jane as a playable character for stealth missions in the first game (and occasionally Miles too), these missions were definitely one of the downsides of Marvel's Spider-Man, slowing down gameplay when the Players were forced to sneak past the goons. They could be incredibly frustrating at times, especially when one wrong move could interrupt the entire mission.
If Insomniac Games decides to reintroduce stealth missions in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, we hope they're designed in a way that makes you not want to throw your controller at the TV. It might be more fun to see MJ do more infiltration missions than stealth missions, or even give him a weapon or two that will make the players' lives and his own a little easier.
Marvel fans can expect the sequel to the game to release sometime next year. From what we know, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is shaping up to be something truly special for PlayStation fans. There are so many possibilities with this sequel. And we are sure that Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment will keep their promises.
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Watch 10 minutes of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 gameplay
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Game Updates
Twisted Voxel recently announced that players will be able to pre-load Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on October 13, 2023. Twisted Voxel learned of this information when he took a look at his console and saw that the digital copy of the game he had pre-ordered should be updated automatically that day.
The preload data includes an update that is supposedly required to play the game on launch day. The game is also expected to feature an additional day one patch, meaning those who own a disc-based version of the game will need to install both on launch date.
File size
Fans have started wondering about the file size they can expect for the next game, with most of them hoping it will be under 100GB, but there are a few reasons why is a bit doubtful.
With the game being exclusive to the PlayStation 5, visual and gameplay improvements will definitely take up a little more space.
Furthermore, it was revealed that the game has expanded Marvel's New York and that the size of the map is at least twice as large as in the original version of the game's map.
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One thing’s for sure, Marvel’s critically acclaimed Spider-Man franchise just got bigger and better. The incredible power of the symbiote will force Peter and Miles to face the ultimate showdown, both inside and outside the mask. All of this means that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 might just be the best Spidey game of all time.